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The Louisville Zoo has a new arrival, a 2-year-old female puma named Becca that recently was transferred from the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, Fla.

In a release, the Louisville Zoo said Becca was rescued at 3 months old by the Washington State Wildlife Commission after being separated from her mother. She was found significantly underweight along with her sibling that, unfortunately, did not survive.

For now, Becca is the local zoo's sole puma. Zoo spokeswoman Kyle Shepherd said a 17-year-old female puma, named Sable, recently died.

Pumas are solitary cats and have the largest range of any terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere outside of human beings. They range from northern British Columbia to Argentina. Pumas are also known as cougars, panthers and mountain lions due to different regional names for the cat. In Kentucky, we often refer to them as mountain lions.

The release said that "the largest of the small cat species, this adaptable cat lives in a variety of habitats in forests, prairies, deserts and swamps. Pumas have large hind legs giving them the ability to jump high. They can jump from the ground into trees and have been known to leap 20-feet up or down a hillside.

"They can also run fast. Like a cheetah, pumas have a flexible spine which allows them to maneuver around obstacles and change direction quickly. Their prey depends on location but can include capybaras, raccoons, deer, squirrels and armadillos.

Visitors can see Becca in the Cats of the Americas exhibit near the MetaZoo, next to the Canada lynx and across from the bald eagles. She will be on exhibit daily, unless otherwise noted at the exhibit, Shepherd said.

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at 502-582-7089, or via email at sshafer@courier-journal.com.